A post in the Washington Times this morning concerning Connecticut’s Republican candidate for governor Bob Stefanowski’s previous business ventures caught my eye. I wrote about payday loans previously about eight years ago, so I thought I would revisit the subject.

Stefanowski led DFC Global Corp. in Pennsylvania for a couple of years during 2014 and 2016. DFC Global provides financial services – short term loans and other services – to “unbanked and under-banked” consumers. When pundits refer to “payday loans” it’s in-part reference to unsecured short-term consumer loans. These are the type of loans your local bank is normally not interested in providing.

No matter what you hear from the pundits, the short-term, unsecured loan market is regulated by the federal government and individual states where they are legal. The other important aspect is there is a demand for loans less than $250 for days or a couple of weeks.

There are many who will heavily criticize Stefanowski for “taking advantage of poor people.” Others will point out payday loan outfits provide a needed service to a community not being served by traditional financial institutions.

In Connecticut, payday loans are pretty much illegal. The state legislature ensured that by capping the interest rate at 12 percent. If you need $200 to cover your car payment for the next week until you get paid – hence the term payday loan – you’re totally out of luck. There is not a financial institution in the state who will help you. The risk is way to great for a return for a profit of about 53 cents. ($200 at 12 percent for about one week.)

I took a look at the website for a large payday loan outfit in Florida. It took me about three minutes to locate their finance charge schedule. The first think you’ll notice is the annual percentage rates … they are between 286 and 521 percent. If you have moral objections to these interest rates, that’s fine. But I’ll ask you to take a closer look.

In Florida, the amount financed can be as little as $50, and up to $500. If you need $300, you’ll owe $335 in two weeks. (That’s a 304 percent interest rate.) You’ll need to meet certain qualifications and present some required items to get the loan, but you’ll get the money you need. The loan term is between 10 and 31 days. Again, these are short-term loans.

As I mentioned, I wrote about payday loans almost eight years ago. I’ll use the numbers above for another example.

… let’s say you have to make a $300 car payment today, but you will not have the money to pay the debt until your next paycheck coming in two weeks. We’ll lay out two options for you.

Option 1: An offer of a $300 loan – due in two weeks – that you will have to pay a $35 to get. (Total cost $335)

Option 2: Car most likely repossessed within the next 14 days.

What would you do? If you morally object to the $35 interest charge, what would your advice be to that person? Be honest with the answer. If you morally object to the rate paid, would you be willing to invest in a company offering financial services to underserved customers at an interest rate you find morally acceptable? What would that rate be?

Below is the video I included in my previous post for reference. Some information may be out-of-date.

Note the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 – passed and signed four years prior to Stefanowski running DFC Global – gave the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau the power to oversee financial products and services, including payday loans. (They really did not start implementation until 2012.) President Obama promised he would limit payday loan rates to 36 percent. Although some sources say he kept his promise, those same sources note…

It’s worth noting that the 36 percent interest cap, something Obama specifically cited in this promise, is not included in the new agency’s purview.

Nice how the “fact finders” lie is it not?

Final comment. There has been plenty of discussion and articles concerning the Trump administration’s proposed changes to the federal act passed in 2010. Sorry, but I just do not have time to dive into any of that.

https://radioviceonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/stefanowski-101.jpg569920Steve McGoughhttps://radioviceonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/rvo-logo-4-300x100.jpgSteve McGough2018-10-23 11:08:492018-10-23 11:10:38Stefanowski and the payday loan business

The president has a tremendous amount of power – confirmed by the Constitution and the Supreme Court – concerning the entry into the United States of all aliens. The law is clear. No ambiguity at all.

Code § 1182(f)
Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate.

Of course, none of the blow-hard media “expert” journalists from the main stream media even acknowledge this law actually exists. They do say the president “has a lot of authority” or something like that, but then they say other parts of the Constitution may “temper” the power he has.

Writing for the Supreme Court in 1948 (in Chicago & Southern Air Lines v. Waterman), Justice Robert Jackson — FDR’s former attorney general and the chief prosecutor at Nuremburg — explained that decisions involving foreign policy, including alien threats to national security, are “political, not judicial” in nature.

Such decisions are wholly confided by our Constitution to the political departments of the government, Executive and Legislative. They are delicate, complex, and involve large elements of prophecy. They are and should be undertaken only by those directly responsible to the people whose welfare they advance or imperil. They are decisions of a kind for which the Judiciary has neither aptitude, facilities nor responsibility and have long been held to belong in the domain of political power not subject to judicial intrusion or inquiry.

In a three-part series, James Kitfield from Breaking Defense provides brief overviews of the experienced military men that will, or may be working for President-elect Trump in leadership positions.

Among the many anxieties inspired by the rise of Trump, one of the most profound is his fondness for generals. Does naming so many retired military men to top positions undermine the principal of civilian control? How might their shared experiences in our post-9/11 conflicts shape the way they govern? This week, award-winning defense reporter James Kitfield takes us in depth with profiles of Jim Mattis, John Kelly, and Mike Flynn. Today, Kitfield starts the series with a look at Trump’s generals as a group. Besides Trump, what do they all have in common? The answer is one word: war.

I recently commented on a Facebook post referencing Harry Reid saying “Fear is entirely rational” after a campaign of “bigotry and hate.” I simply said “they still don’t get it.”

A friend responded to my comment.

I guess what I don’t get is when people keep telling me to “get over it” and move on. In any past election in my life I was able to do that but this one is different. I understand the reasons peeps voted for T for political reasons some of which I agree with but I just find him to be an abhorrent person. I especially can’t understand how people who wanted to draw and quarter Bill C for being morally bankrupt now turned around and over looked what a pig T is and actually vote for him. And please don’t tell me I’ve been brainwashed by the liberal media against him. I heard with my own ears the hateful things he said.

We obviously can’t point to “one thing” to help understand why folks voted for Trump. A significant part of the equation was Democrats who stayed home or voted for Trump. Trump will end up with about the same number of votes McCain and Romney received, but Clinton ended up with 10 million and 5 million (respectively) fewer votes than Obama.

But I’ll stick to one thought for now: He fought back.

Liberals have been talking down to me for a couple of decades now, but I really started noticing when I started writing for this conservative website. Here are just some of the hateful things that have been said to me, about me, and other conservatives for decades. Strong language coming…

I’m a racist because I want our border secured and I want to limit legal immigration in defense of our American culture and ideals.

I’m racist since I absolutely do not agree there is “endemic” racism problem in law enforcement.

I’m racist since I think the current laws in place should be enforced.

I’m a racist homophobe since I think it’s absolutely insane to demand a practicing faithful Christian bake a cake, and have them pay $100k in fines because they are “bigots” if they say no to baking a cake.

I hate children because I think the federal Department of Education should be shuttered immediately.

I’m delusional since I don’t believe in anthropogenic climate change. I think the climate HAS been changing for millions of years and will continue to do so. To think we can stop global climate change is complete vanity, and when I say that, I’m labeled as someone who wants to destroy the planet.

I’m outright insane due to my gun rights stand, and I’m OK with kids getting killed because I think an “assault weapon” ban is absurd.

I must be “compensating” for something since I quietly carry a gun to protect myself and my family.

There must be something wrong with me because I own evil inanimate objects such as guns, gun magazines, rifles and hollow-point ammunition. Therefore, I must register with the government and be “monitored.” If I fail to register, I’m a criminal.

When I say the minimum wage should be zero, I’m a racist and hate poor people trying to raise a family. I’m not allowed to calmly explain why, since the protesting crowd is now yelling at me.

People claim I have violent tendencies since I believe in what the TEA Party stands for. When something bad happens, liberals and the media immediately claim it was probably a TEA Party member.

When I point out there is no such thing as a “gun show loophole,” I’m an uneducated idiot.

When I say it’s terribly sad and heartbreaking more black babies were terminated in NYC than born in 2012 and 2013, I’m a racist AND a misogynist asshole.

When I point out conservatives in Washington are not trying to block women from healthcare services or getting the pill, I’m an idiot and anti-woman.

When I think the federal government should get completely out of the health care business, I hate women, children and the poor.

I’m a racist since I think you should prove you are a citizen when you vote.

When I explain human rights exist simultaneously between people and human rights are limited to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – not healthcare, education, food, housing, cell phones or broadband Internet – I’m a woman-hating, racist asshole.

When I say Roe v. Wade was a bad legal decision, heads explode and people start yelling at me before I can explain why.

Every single one of these statements – and many more – have been either made to me in person, in an online comment, or sent to me in an email during my time writing more than 2,000 conservative blog posts. Thankfully, I’ve received no death threats, but I know of authors who have. I’ve seen them. Law enforcement dealt with them.

The attacks on some of my friends – who happen to be black conservatives – have been outright brutal. I’ve been present when a protester yelled at them …”you’re a traitor to your race.”

The verbal and written attacks – along with all the “they are stupid” jokes – on Sarah Palin, Palin’s family, George W. Bush, Bush’s family, Mitt Romney, Mia Love, Rand Paul, Alan West, Scott Walker, Clarence Thomas among many others have been BRUTAL for years.

Although Trump was not my chosen candidate, Trump fought back. He gave it out just the same the left have been dishing it out for decades. No national GOP candidate has fought back before. (Well, maybe Reagan.) It was all about “what can we do to get them to accept us.”

Well, Trump got through to folks who were done being bullied by the left.

At this point, I’m more than willing to give Trump a chance. I’ll continue to explain why Constitutional conservatism will work when given the opportunity. I’ll work to direct Trump on conservative policy if he’ll listen. I’ll disagree with him and point out where I think he is wrong just as I did during Bush 43’s term.

Not quite so fast. He did not understand the premise of the question, or he just was not listening. When Gina Rodriguez asked the question during the interview earlier this week, everyone freaked out about the answer. The video you’re seeing elsewhere cuts off a relevant comment by the president a few moments later in the interview.

But let’s be clear, the president is known for interviews with mixed messages like this.

Rodriguez asked, “Many of the millennials, dreamers, undocumented, ahh… citizens … and I call them citizens because they contribute to this country are fearful of voting. So if I vote, will Immigration know where I live, will they come for my family, and deport us?”

The president answers, “Not true.” He goes on with platitudes about how important it is to vote and not be afraid. It’s important to note Rodriguez just smiled and did not correct or clarify her question. At 1:12 into this clip, the president noted he thought it was important for Latinos – who are citizens – to vote because others in the community may “not have a voice, who can’t legally vote.”

To me, it’s clear what Rodriguez was asking the president, and she let him keep speaking. At 1:09, Rodriguez even mentions “the entire community.” The president did not get it … or did he?

Follow up

Let’s see if the president actually makes the effort to come out and say if you are an illegal alien, non-resident or non-citizen, you can not vote. It is illegal to do so. He won’t.

Here is a proper edit of the clip. If you’d like to see the entire interview – I’m certain it was edited like any other interview – click here.

Gina Rodriguez thinks it’s fine for illegal aliens to vote?

Another follow up. Rodriguez is an actress born and raised in Chicago to parents from Puerto Rico. A question for Rodriguez … is she now suggesting it’s OK for undocumented workers (non-citizens) to vote? In her opinion, did Obama give that opinion the green light?

Rodriguez is claiming the question referred to illegal aliens who are afraid of the voting process. Supposedly they think if someone in their family who is a citizen votes, they are at more of a risk to be tracked down and deported. If that’s the case, it’s one of the worst interview questions I could ever imagine. It’s actually an absurd question if you think about it.

Then she follows up with the following.

So if I vote, will immigration know where I live, will they come for my family and deport us?

Again, absurd question. If you are a citizen and voting, how is Immigration going to come and deport you? You’re a citizen.

Bad interview all-around, and just enough “mixed messaging” to let illegals know they can vote with no consequences while the president and Rodriguez can claim “we never said that.”

Imagine the total media firestorm George W. Bush would have been – or Donald Trump would be in now – if they had requested their staff put together an exclusive list of white Christians for top Executive Branch positions. Imagine an oil company or a Fortune 50 company doing the same.

Be honest, not only would the full force of the mainstream media come down on Bush, Trump or that evil oil company, the Department of Labor, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Department of Justice (DOJ) would be rushing to publicly hang every single individual involved. They would be going for complete personal and financial destruction and publicly discuss prison time.

They would get more than their pound of flesh, but if Barack H. Obama asked for a list of Muslims and Asians for top administration jobs, what do we get?

The co-chairs of the Obama transition team in 2008 were John Podesta, Valerie Jarret and Peter Rouse. Recently, WikiLeaks has provided some insight into the inner-workings of the transition team. Gayle E. Smith is listed as one of the National Security Team Leads for the transition, and she – along with Podesta and Michael Froman – received an email from Preeta D. Bansal with the subject Asian American Candidates, Muslim American Candidates.

Smith is currently the administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Smith has worked for years in various positions in the Clinton and Obama administrations, and she was a “working group chair” for the Clinton Global Initiative prior to working in the Obama administration.

Michael Froman was a classmate of Obama’s at Harvard Law, and an advisor during his US Senate campaign and a member of the 2008 transition team. He worked in the administration and is currently the United States Trade Representative. Bansal first sent the email to Froman, and then she immediately sent the email to Podesta and Smith. Smith then forwarded it to Podesta again.

Bansal – who happened to go to Harvard and was a supervising editor at the Harvard Law Review in the late 1980s – ended up working in the Clinton Administration DOJ in the mid-90s. More on her professional background here. She’s not listed as part of the Obama transition team, but she ended up working as general counsel and senior policy adviser at the Office of Management and Budget for a couple of years.

During the transition, Bansal was a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, one of the top law firms in the United States. The email came from Bansal’s work email address so we can assume this was a professional request by the transition team.

What Bansal was tasked to do – presumably by Smith or one of the co-chairs – was to provide a list of “Asian American Candidates, [and] Muslim American Candidates” for top jobs in the administration.

Again, let that request sink in… Here is the email and attachments. This is the original part of the email, without the forwarding replies, but with my emphasis in bold.

Here are the compiled lists of Asian American and Muslim American candidates for top Administration jobs, sub-cabinet jobs, and outside boards/agencies/policy committees. A couple things to note about the list of Muslim American candidates:

In the candidates for top jobs, I excluded those with some Arab American background but who are not Muslim (e.g., George Mitchell). Many Lebanese Americans, for example, are Christian. In the last list (of outside boards/commissions), most who are listed appear to be Muslim American, except that a handful (where noted) may be Arab American but of uncertain religion (esp. Christian).

There is only one candidate I thought was a viable one for a Secretary-level job among the Muslim Americans. That said, on both lists, there are some very senior people listed in the last category (for outside boards/commissions) who conceivably could be considered for top jobs. The very senior people I put on the last list tended not to be terribly involved in politics or policy, or in the case of some Asian Americans, had already served in the Clinton and even Carter Administrations and so I thought we should seek new talent. But there’s no magic to some of the placements. I think the lists are fairly exhaustive, but some of the people may be moved to other categories.

High-profile Muslim Americans tend to be the subject of a fair amount of blogger criticism, and so the individuals on this list would need to be ESPECIALLY carefully vetted. I suspect some of the people I list would not survive such a vet — but I do personally know, at least in part, virtually all of the candidates in the 1st two categories (but I know very few of those listed for outside boards/commissions).

I listed the elected Muslim American democratic officials at the end of the second category, but for various reasons, I didn’t think any of them would necessarily be suitable for an Administration appointment. Nevertheless, I wanted to flag them for you in case you wanted to evaluate them further.

DOJ list will be coming in the next two days. Judges and USAttorneys will still take about 10 days. Let me know if the latter are needed sooner.

I list and provide links to information about all of the parties involved since you are certain to see every single one of them involved in a Hillary Clinton transition team if she is elected president. These people most likely publicly condemn Republicans and conservatives for being racists and bigots, when all they seem to be able to see is the color of one’s skin or their religion. They are making hiring decisions based on race and religion.

I understand optics in politics, but to create lists that outright exclude qualified candidates based on their race or religion? Come now, you know this would be treated quite differently by everyone if the tables were turned. The same exact people I’ve listed in this post would be complaining on-air Sunday morning, writing op-ed pieces for the Times and demanding justice be served.

For years, I’ve been advocating the complete shutdown of the U.S. Department of Education. In the United States Constitution, funding of education is never mentioned or implied, but for 35 years federal government has been handing out cash to states and school systems in return for capitulating to prescribed standards and rules created by federal bureaucrats. Now President Obama wants to offer up “free” college education.

I watched only a few moments last night, and listened for a few more. It concerns me the president referenced Reagan and Bush 41 regulations and interpretations of laws* passed in Congress in comparison to his Executive Order that will completely ignore current law. But that’s not all conservatives are rightfully bitching about.

Again, if these votes were switching from Democrats to Republicans, all hell would be breaking loose. This time, we’re getting reports from Maryland. All we have left it seems is our vote. The process should be held in the highest regard, yet Democrats just don’t see it that way.